More of those good problems.

Andrew Bucholtz in the South Delta Leader has a nice piece about Carol Vignale, a transit advocate in Tsawwassen. She’s thinking about ways Translink could use the buses freed up by not running them all the way into Vancouver, and she wants them used to increase the frequency of local routes in Tsawwassen and Richmond. That’s a good idea!

Also interesting, Bucholtz lets Vignale rebut an argument coming from some people in South Delta:

Not everyone likes the new plan, though. Many South Delta residents have sent letters protesting the cancellation of the direct bus route to TransLink and the Delta Council. One of the concerns raised has been for students at private schools along Granville Street in Vancouver, who would have to transfer twice under the proposed plan.

Vignale said she understands the concerns raised.

“I do recognize the difficulty this seems to present to certain groups of people, especially the students,” she said. “It’s an awkward situation.”

Vignale said students’ travel time shouldn’t increase dramatically, though, and the new line will be much more convenient for residents south of the Fraser River who have to commute to jobs elsewhere in Richmond or Vancouver. She thinks this will lead to more of these residents using transit.

So people are complaining about the loss of direct bus routes, because it’ll mean private school kids have to make a couple of transfers? Seriously? Vignale’s very diplomatic here, but her point is clear enough. How many people are going from south of the Fraser to Granville, but then not going to Broadway or downtown? Couldn’t the buses for that route move a lot more people around South Delta, Tsawwassen, and Richmond?